Game apparatus



June 18, 1935. R K Er AL 2,004,990

GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 3. 1934 INVENTORS: Claude R. Kirk Edward E. Collison;

' THEIR ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE lison, Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to Standard Ticket Games Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 3, 1934, Serial No. 755,681

Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved game apparatus which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficient 5 in use.

This application is a continuation in part of our Patent No. 1,973,815, on a Game apparatus, dated September 18, 1934.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved device for operating the auxiliary timing gear carriages of the registering and recording device shownand described in our aforementioned patent.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a playing surface provided with ball exit or scoring openings; an inclined ball return runway below said playing surface and in communication with said ball exit openings; a score registering and recording device arranged'in the cabinet and the said recording device comprising a rotary printing drum, a timing gear for timing the operation of the said registering and recording device; an auxiliary timing gear movable into engagement with the said first-named and main timing gear; and an electromagnetic circuit including an electromagnetic circuit closing device arranged in the said ball return runway and operable by a ball traveling therealong to close said circuit and move said auxiliary timing gear into engagement with said main timing gear so as to allow'the latter and the said printing drum to rotate a predetermined circumferential distance corresponding to the scoring value of the played ball when the latter passes through one of the ball exits or scoring openings in the playing surface into the said ball return runway.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. l is a top planof a game apparatus cabinet housing a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view of a preferred form of one of the electromagnetic timing gear operating devices;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the electromagnetic circuit embodied in the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modified form of one of the electromagnetic timing gear operating devices.

A game apparatus similar to that shown and described in our aforementioned patent is illustrated in the drawing, is generally indicated therein at E0, and comprises a cabinet H which includes an inclined playing board or member l2 which provides a ball playing surface and the latter is provided with ball exits or scoring openings I3, and arranged belowpand in communication with, a predetermined number or groups of ball exit scoring openings i3 is a ball return runway M.

The game apparatus shown and described in our aforementioned patent includes a score recording or printing device and the latter includes a rotary printing drum l5 which is arranged upon a horizontal shaft l6, and likewise arranged upon the shaft it are main timing gears l1. Also embodied in the game apparatus which forms the subject matter of our aforementioned patent is a registering or score-indicating dial [8 which is operated by the timing gears 17 and shaft [6 in a manner therein shown.

Associated with each of the main timing gears It in our aforesaid patent is an auxiliarytiming gear carriage, a modification of which 'is shown in Figs. 2 and 3; each of said timing gear carriages l8 being pivotally mounted in the cabinet II, as at E0, and having a counterweighted arm 20; these counterweighted arms 20 normally urging the auxiliary timing gear carriages l8 (clockwise, Figs. 2 and 3), so as to dispose. the auxiliary timing gears 2| thereby out of engagement with the main timing gears H. In our aforesaid patent, the auxiliary timing gear carriages l8 are urged (counterclockwise, Figs. 2 and 3), and the auxiliary timing gears 24 carried thereby are urged into engagement with the main timing gears H by gravity, that is, by the weight of balls traveling from the runways l4, back to the ball elevating device (not shown) falling upon arms projecting from the timing gear carriages l8. However, the present invention has for its principal object to accomplish this actuation of the auxiliary timing gear carriages electromagnetically and in the preferred embodiment of the invention shown this is accomplished as follows:

To this end we provide in the cabinet I I, in association with each auxiliary timing gear carriage IS, an electromagnetic circuit 22 (Fig. 4), which includes a suitable source of electric energy, such as the battery 23, and we provide in the ball return runway It a circuit closing and opening device for the circuit 22, one of these circuit closing and opening devices being generally indicated at 24 (Fig. 4). As shown, the circuit closing and Opening device 24 comprises a ball-receiving trough or supporting base 25, and this member 25 is arranged in the runway I4 below the ball exit or scoring openings I3. Pivotally mounted upon the ball-receiving trough 25 is a circuit closing member 26. This circuit closing member 26 includes an arm 21 which projects between the upright walls 28 of its supporting base 25, and it also includes a cross arm 40 (Fig. 4).

Arranged in the circuit 22 is an'electromagnetic device or solenoid 29 and thissolenoid 29 has its arm or armature 30 slidably connected to a lateral extension of one of the timing gear carriages I8, as by being slidably projected through an opening in such extension. One side of the solenoid 29 is connected, by means of a conductor 32, with a stationary terminal post II which is located adjacent the base 25 of the corresponding circuit closing device 24, and the other side of the solenoid 29 is connected, by means of a conductor 43, to one terminal of the battery 23, the opposite side of the battery 23 being connected by way of a conductor 33 with a second terminal post 42 of the circuit closing device 24.

The foregoing arrangement is such that when a ball drops through one of the ball exit or scoring openings I3, which are formed in the inclined playing board I2, it falls upon the arm 21 of the pivotal circuit closing element 26 and depresses the latter (counterclockwise, Fig. 4), thereby raising the cross arm 49 up into engagement with the terminal posts 4I--42 and closing circuit therebetween, thus closing the electromagnetic circuit 22, whereupon the spent ball passes into the runway I4 for return to the ball elevating device 39.

This closing of the electromagnetic circuit 22 causes the solenoid 29 therein to withdraw its armature 30 (from right to left, Figs. 2 and 3), thereby pivoting the timing gear carriage I8 at I9 (counterclockwise, Fig. 2 and 3), and thus meshing the auxiliary timing gear 2I carried thereby with the main timing gear H. In this manner, the main timing gear I1, and its supporting shaft I6, the rotary printing device I5, and the registering dial I8, of our aforesaid patent, are rotated a predetermined circumferential distance in accordance with the known scoring values of the played balls and the scoring openings I3; it being understood that in the present invention there is provided a separate electromagnetic circuit 22 (Fig. 4) for each main timing gear I! and a separate circuit closing device 24 on the runway I4, below each of the ball exit openings I3.

A similar but somewhat different form of timing gear carriage and solenoid connection is shown in Fig. 5. This arrangement is substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, and differs therefrom only in that the timing gear carriage 34 is provided with a horizontal, rather than a vertical, arm 35 and the latter has at its outer end a horizontal extension 36 to which the upright or vertical armature 31 of the solenoid 38 is slidably connected, as by being passed through an opening in the extension 36; it being noted that in this modification the solenoid 38 and its armature 31 are arranged in vertical, rather than horizontal position, as are the solenoids 29.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended'claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit or scoring opening formed therein; a ball return runway arranged below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit or scoring opening; a score-recording or printing device arranged in the cabinet including a rotary printing drum and a gear for timing the operation and duration of rotation of said printing drum; an auxiliary timing gear carriage pivotally, mounted in the said cabinet; ,said carriage having an auxiliary timing gear rotatably mountedthereon and the latter being movable into ,engagement with the first-named timing gear; an electromagnetic circuit including an electromagnetic device coacting with said timing gear carriage to pivot the said auxiliary timing gear carried thereby into engagement with the said main timing gear; and a circuit opening and closing device arranged in said ball return runway and operable by a ball traveling therealong to close the said electromagnetic circuit and pivot the said auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the said first-named timing gear so as to allow the said printing drum to rotate a predetermined circumferential distance. I

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit or scoring opening formed therein; a ball return runway arranged below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit or scoring opening-a score-recording or printing device arranged in the cabinet including a rotary printing drum and a gear for timing the operation or duration of rotation of said printing drum; an auxiliary timing gear carriage pivotally mounted in said cabinet; said carriage having an auxiliary timing gear rotatably mounted thereon and the latter beng movable into engagement with the first-named timing gear; in electromagnetic circuit including an electromagnetic device coacting with said timing gear carriage to pivot the said auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the said first-named timing gear; and a circuit opening and closing device arranged in said ball return runway and operable by a ball traveling therealong to'close the said electromagnetic circuit and pivot the said auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the first-named timing gear so as to allow the said printing drum to rotate a predetermined circumferential distance; said timing gear carriage having a counterweighted portion normally urging the said auxiliary timing gear out of engagement with the first-named timing gear.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit or scoring opening formed therein; a ball return runway arranged below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit or scoring opening; a.

score recording or printing device arranged in said cabinet including a rotary printing drum and a gear for timing the operation or duration of rotation of said printing drum; an auxiliary timing gear carriage pivotally mounted in the said cabinet; said carriage having an auxiliary timing gear rotatably mounted thereon and the latter being movable into engagement with the firstnamed timing gear; an electromagnetic circuit including a solenoid coacting with said timing gear carriage to pivot the said auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the said first-named timing gear; and a circuit opening and closing device arranged in said ball return runway and operable by a ball traveling therealong to close the said electromagnetic circuit and pivot the said auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the said first-named timing gear so as to allow the said printing drum to rotate a predetermined circumferential distance.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit or scoring opening formed therein; a ball return runway arranged below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit or scoring opening; a

score-recording or printing device arranged in the said cabinet including a rotary printing drum and a gear for timing the operation or duration of rotation of said printing drum; an auxiliary timing gear carriage pivotally mounted in the said cabinet; said carriage having an auxiliary timing gear rotatably mounted thereon and movable into engagement with the first-named timing gear; an electromagnetic circuit including a solenoid coasting with said timing gear carriage to pivot the auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the first-named timing gear; and

a circuit opening and closing device arranged in said ball return runway and operable by a ball traveling therealong to close the said electromagnetic circuit and pivot the said auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the said first-named timing gear so as to allow the said printing drum to rotate a predetermined circumferential distance; said timing gear carriage having a counterweighted portion normally urging the said auxiliary timing gear out of engagement with the said first-named timing gear.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit or scoring opening formed therein; a ball return runwayarranged below said playing surface and having communication with said ball exit or scoring opening; a score-recording or printing device arranged in the cabinet including a rotary printing drum and a gear for timing the operation of said printing drum; an auxiliary timing gear carriage movably mounted in the said cabinet; said carriage having an auxiliary timing gear ro-tatably mounted thereon and. movable into engagement with the first-named timing gear; an electromagnetic circuit including an electromagnetic device coacting with said timing gear carriage to pivot the auxiliary timing gear into engagement with the first-named timing gear; and a circuit opening and closing device arranged in said ball return runway and operable by a ball traveling therealong to close the said electromagnetic circuit and pivot the said auxiliary timing gear'into engagement with the first-named timing gear so as to allow the said printing drum to rotate a predetermined circumferential distance;

CLAUDE R. KIRK. EDWARD E. COLLISON. 

